Tea spilled, Starbucks sued

Woman burned by hot tea in Texas claims coffee giant’s cups defective

Published 9:12 pm, Monday, September 3, 2012

COFFEE IN SEATTLE: But you might give Starbucks even more credit. It did, after all, give us the Frappuccino. (MARK RALSTON / AFP/Getty Images)

COFFEE IN SEATTLE: But you might give Starbucks even more credit. It did, after all, give us the Frappuccino. (MARK RALSTON / AFP/Getty Images)

Tea spilled, Starbucks sued

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A woman purportedly scalded by hot tea has sued Starbucks claiming a loose lid left her with second-degree burns.

Filing a lawsuit in King County Superior Court, Christina Sturgess asserts she suffered serious burns in August 2009 after spilling a Venti green tea moments after buying the drink at a drive-thru.

Attorneys for Sturgess claim a San Antonio, Texas barista didn’t seal the lid atop her cup of hot tea and, by failing to do so, cleared the way for her injuries. The Seattle attorneys also claim Starbucks was aware of defects in its cups have left other customers burned.

Describing the incident, the woman’s attorneys said their client was taking her first sip when the lid came off and scalding hot tea poured over her. Her skin blistered immediately, and she was later found to have suffered multiple second-degree burns.

According to the lawsuit, Sturgess later received skin grafts and underwent other surgeries due to her injuries.

Writing the court, attorneys Kristin Houser and Rebecca Roe of the Seattle firm Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender claimed Sturgess should be compensated for her medical expenses and lost earnings, as well as her pain and suffering.

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The attorneys claim the tea cup was dangerously poorly designed, and that Starbucks was negligent.

“Starbucks was aware of incidents involving serious burns from its tea and coffee throughout the country and failed to take appropriate steps to remedy the danger,” the attorneys told the court.

Starbucks spokeswoman Maggie Jantzen said the company is reviewing the lawsuit. She said Starbucks takes the safety of its customers and workers seriously, and asserted the company is "confident the tea is brewed to industry standards."

The company has not yet responded in court.

As is customary in Washington state courts, no dollar-figure estimate of damages is included in the lawsuit. Starbucks has until mid-September to make an initial response to the lawsuit.